Thursday, December 01, 2011

[This is an updated version of similar posts from previous years. If you only read one of my posts on the festival, this is the one to read.]

I'm not sure its cricket to have FAQs if no one has asked any questions so these are UFAQs - Unasked Frequently Asked Questions. This is information people might be or should be asking for. Below are links to posts with general information about the Anchorage International Film Festival.

What do all the categories mean? ("official selection;" "films in competition," etc. ) This is an updated post from 2008, but still gets the basic information across. It also covers the process for how films get selected for the Festival and how the winners get chosen.

What films are the best films this year (2011)?
Films in Competition are the ones chosen to compete for the Golden Oosiker awards. Here are guides to each category - something about each film and when and where they will play.

What is Festival Genius?
Festival Genius is a national software program that AIFF began using last year. It lets you sort films in many ways. You can sort just to see all the films (each film is listed with a picture) in a category, for instance, or see the schedule for the films in a category. My links sometimes do one, sometimes the other. Also, the links only go to page 1, be sure to check for any additional pages linked at the bottom of the pages.
If you register on Festival Genius, you can use it to make your own schedule of films you want to see. You can also make comments and reviews.
NOTE: Once you're in Festival Genius, there doesn't seem to be a link back to the local AIFF website.

Short films are grouped together into 'programs.' How do I find which short films are playing together and the same of program? Easiest place is the printed program. As of last year (2011) when they added Festival Genius software, things are easier to find.Animation Programs - The link goes to all programs that have animation. Some are programs that might have one animation in it. Animation-Wrld Wide is the program with all the animated shorts. (There weren't that many this year, but the ones in competition appear to be pretty strong.) There are also two feature animations - George the Hedgehog and Lady of Names. George, I'm told, is definitely adults only, but Lady will be shown at the kids free showing at Loussac on Saturday, Dec. 10.

I'm not interested in the festival, but if there are any films on my favorite place, food, sport, etc., I'd go. Are there any?

The Festival Genius software allows you to look at a list of countries and then see what films are being shown from that country. Click on the blue (where the red arrow points below) and it will open a list of countries. Then pick a country, and wait until it loads the films from that country. (This screen shot is from 2010)

I counted 26 countries this year.

The film festival spans two calendar weeks and so you have to check for each week. Just click on the week and it changes. The Screenshot above is from last year, but here's a link to the same page this year:

Then click on the countries window to see the list of countries. Choose the one you want and they will give you all the films from that country in the festival.

To find out about films of special topics, you need to look through the films themselves.

How do I find your blog posts on specific films or film makers? There's a tab below the page heading for Anchorage International Film Festival 2011. I'll put links for specific films here as I post them (check for the video posts there too)

Do you have videos of the Festival? - I'll add the video posts as they happen on my web with links at the Anchorage International Film Festival 2011 tab on the top of the page.

Where will the films be shown?
Locations: Bear Tooth, was the main venue last year. This year there are only eight showings there - all features, all at 8 pm.

My understanding is the director pulled his film out of the festival last year because it wouldn't be shown in HD. This is a special showing in HD.

Two shows, Tuesday Dec. 6, 7pm and 9pm

There are special events at other venues. You can check all the venues next to the window where you check the countries on Festival Genius (see screenshot above).

What workshops are there?
There are five workshops with film makers. These are listed on the local site, but NOT on Festival Genius. There's an $8 fee for most of the workshops, but they are free with Festival Passes.

Should I buy a pass or just buy tickets as I go? Tickets are $8 per film ($5 for kids, except at the Bear Tooth). All films passes are $100. (There's only one type of pass this year.) So, if you go to thirteen films, the pass is cheaper. But there are other benefits to the pass. You do have to get a ticket (free) for each film and only a certain number of seats are held for passholders, but you do get priority seating with your pass.
And if you have a pass, you'll go see more films because you'll think "I've paid for them. I should go and get my money's worth."
The pass gets you into Workshops free and a few extra events, though this year they give you a discount, and half price to the opening night film and the awards (which are $20 each, $10 less than last year.)

Another option is to volunteer and get a pass to a movie.

You can buy tickets at the venues. You can also get advanced tickets at the venues.
You cannot buy tickets online this year.

What about family films?
Saturday, December 10, 11:30am to 5pm at Loussac Library - in the Marston Auditorium. FREE
Here are the AIFF links for family events.
NOTE: The link goes to page 2 of the schedule because it includes the all the movies in this category at the Loussac Library. This event is free. Check page 1 for week one showings of Lady of Names.

Who Are You Anyways? - who's paying you to do this? does your brother have a film in competition? What is your connection to the festival? From an earlier post here's my Disclosure:

Well I blogged the 2007 festival and the AIFF people liked what I did and asked if I would be the official blogger in 2008. They promised me I could say what I wanted, but I decided it was better to blog on my own and then if I write something that upsets one of the film makers, the Festival isn't responsible. They had a link to the blog last year. They also thrown in a free pass for me since 2008.

I probably won't say anything terrible about a film, but I did rant about one film two years that I thought was exploiting its subject as well as boorishly demeaning a whole country. I mentioned in an earlier post that if I sound a little promotional at times, it's only because I like films and I like the kinds of quirky films that show up at festivals, so I want as many people to know about the festival as possible so the festival will continue. Will I fudge on what I write to get people out? No way. There are plenty of people in Anchorage who like films. They're my main target - to get them out of the house in the dark December chill when inertia tugs heavily if they even think about leaving the house. But if others who normally don't go out to films hear about a movie on a topic they're into, that's good too.

I did a post last year for Film Festival Skeptics who might be sitting on the fence and need to be given reasons to go and strategies to make it work.

How do I Keep Track of What's Happening at the Festival? I'll be blogging the film festival every day. The link below will be my festival posts only, starting with the most recent.

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About Me

I started this blog just to find out what the blogworld was all about. I figured I needed to actually blog, not just read other people's blogs, to understand how it works, and what ways it could be used. This is all experimental. A learning exercise for me. It's turning out to be a look at one person's (mine) life based in Anchorage. With occasional trips away.
UPDATE July 6, 2015: Here's a post that discusses my evasiveness in this profile - it's intentional.